Elsie Cavendish
Elsie Anais Frostine Cavendish is a third year Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. She is the daughter of pureblooded aristocrats Evanora and Aeneas Cavendish, and the eldest child of three. ((Please do not use information not learned of IC, with the exception of general family history, blood/social standing, and rumors! This wiki is a WIP.)) Family History Paternal Family Early History The Cavendish family is a long-standing aristocratic family of pureblooded witches and wizards. A distinctly English family, they have been around for as long as the written history of magic in England has. While the family doesn't specifically prohibit blood mixing, no Cavendish has ever married a halfblood, muggleborn, squib, or muggle. The family prides themselves on being progressive and accepting of non-purebloods, but their resistance to include other blood lineages in the family shows that they are still intent on keeping their status as one of the Sacred 28. Current History The Cavendishes are not only known for being an ancient and respected aristocratic family, but also for many members becoming prominent Ministry officials. They are largely considered to have fairly strong social and political influence because of this. Maternal Family Early History The Von Drott de la Serre family name represents the long-ago joining of two previously-warring aristocratic wizarding families: the Von Drotts of Germany and the de la Serres of France. Centuries ago, the two families were pitted against each other in a power struggle over a region in between their two home countries. A romance bloomed between the only daughter of the Von Drott family and the only son of the de la Serre family, but was forbidden by their parents to go forwards. The two young lovers devised a plan: they threatened to break both of the families' unmarred pureblood history by marrying muggles and living fully without magic, unless they were allowed to wed. This was unconscionable for both families, so the two were allowed to marry and bring the families together. Though neither family was happy about the union, the coming together of the families eventually lead the way to peace between them and their feud finally ended. Current History The Von Drott de la Serres are still a fully pureblooded family to this day, and the members of the family will not wed outside of pureblood families as a way of honoring and remembering their family history. The family is well-known for producing extremely creative people, a few of whom have reached celebrity because of their talents. Parents Aeneas Cavendish Elsie's father is Aeneas Cavendish, a well-known herbologist and the only child of the previous Cavendish line. He is the inheritor of the vast estate and legacy that his parents will leave behind, though his personal history tends to deviate from the usual history of the family. An alumni of Hogwarts, Aeneas was a Hufflepuff, not a Slytherin as many Cavendishes are. A bright and kind boy, he received top marks in all of his classes, was made a prefect, and was nearly head boy in his final year. Upon his graduation, his family’s connections with the Ministry of Magic allowed him to go straight into an internship at the Ministry, where he shadowed the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. His parents were overjoyed that yet another Cavendish would be working in the country's magical government, continuing what had essentially become a family tradition. However, once the internship ended Aeneas had firmly decided that working at the Ministry was not for him, and he left. His parents were a little disappointed, but their love for their only child won out over family tradition, and they quickly came to terms with it. His wealth allowed him to pursue his own interests rather than attempt to find work to support himself financially, so he was able to study what he truly loved: herbology. He has since written a number of books about herbology, and all have been well-received for their detail, accuracy, and ability to be understood by readers at varying skill levels. Evanora Cavendish (neé Von Drott de la Serre) Elsie's mother is Evanora Cavendish, a famous opera singer and socialite. She is the only surviving member of her immediate family, as her parents and two siblings perished during the Wizarding Wars due to their refusal to join the Death Eaters. Evanora was able to escape this fate by a fluke of circumstance: she was visiting her family in France at the time her home was attacked. After this tragedy, she was adopted by her mother's older sister and her husband, who were unable to have children themselves and had always adored Evanora. A Hogwarts alumni, Evanora was a Ravenclaw, and was considered one of the top students in her class. In her youth she fell in love with painting and singing, and upon graduation she set about pursuing a career as an opera singer. Her family’s social status had always allowed her natural talents as a singer to be exposed to other aristocratic families when she was coaxed into singing for them at various galas and soirees, so her transition from student to singer was fairly smooth. As her presence was more and more frequently requested at various events, Evanora's beautiful soprano voice, dedication to her craft, and gorgeous looks quickly made her a star in the wizarding world. It was at a private performance that Evanora was giving at ball of a few pureblood families that she and Aeneas met. They were fairly young, Aeneas at 23 and Evanora at 20, but they hit it off instantly and were married within a year, though they held off having children for some time. Together they have had three children: Elsie, Penelope, and Claude. Evanora continues to this day to perform for the wizarding upper crust. Because of her own personal wealth and family fortune, Evanora donates any payment she receives for her performances to various wizarding charities that she holds close to her heart. These are most notably ones that support those who lost their families during the Wizarding Wars. Siblings Penelope Cavendish Penelope Cavendish is Elsie's sister, younger by a year. She is currently attending Hogwarts, housed in Gryffindor. ((This character is an NPC)) Claude Cavendish Claude Cavendish is Elsie's brother, younger by three years. He is very excited to get his letter from Hogwarts in the upcoming year. ((This character is an NPC)) Biography Early Life Elsie was born on the 21st of December at her mother's ancestral home in Fontainebleau, France, where she continued to live until she was four years old. It was here that she expressed her first showing of magic at the age of one, when she transfigured a silver statuette of an elephant into a soft plush toy to play with after the loss of her favorite stuffed animal, a very similar elephant toy. Elsie's early childhood was filled with love and the company of her parents and siblings. When she was four years old, Elsie and her family moved to her father's ancestral home near Bakewell, England, due to her paternal grandmother's ailing health. Here they carried out their days in a similar manner, with Elsie and her siblings becoming close as they grew older. Her parents protected her and her siblings from the unpleasantness of the outside world, and taught their children to be the perfect aristocrats. Home Life Elsie had an ideal home life, free of worry or care and surrounded by a loving family. Elsie and her siblings get along smashingly, to the point that some find it odd. This may be due to the secret language they came up with to communicate amongst each other, or the pranks they pull on people they don’t like. These pranks sometimes call into question how well Elsie's parents' "perfect aristocrat" lessons went, but Elsie's siblings are the only ones that can convince her to be truly mischievous. In general, her home life is very happy, and very privileged. Life at School Years 1-2 Elsie's time so far at Hogwarts has been spent making friends and focusing on her studies. In her third year, she hopes to find a few interesting activities or perhaps independent study classes that she can take part in. Year 3 About Elsie Personality and Traits Elsie is a very sweet girl and is known for always pursuing perfection. Generally regarded as someone with a cheerful disposition, she is extremely well-mannered and well-bred as ever since she was young she was taught to be the perfect lady. Elsie is quick to smile, and though she doesn't always start a conversation first and can come off as a very quiet at times she is a friendly and kind person. She does have a mischievous side, though it almost exclusively comes out in the presence of her siblings. Elsie can be overly protective of the people she loves, and even of strangers due to her strong sense of justice. She has a temper, but it only expresses itself when she perceives an injustice happening to someone. Elsie also has the tendency to become fixed on topics that interest her, striving to become the best, most knowledgeable, or most accomplished at whatever takes her interest. This is largely due to her own drive to learn, but there are other factors in this as well. Though her family is extremely loving and has never explicitly placed high expectations on her, the pressure of being the eldest child of two extremely influential aristocratic families has left its mark. There is an unspoken expectation for her to be perfect, behave a certain way, excel in all subjects, and uphold the legacies of both her maternal and paternal families. Elsie's biggest fear is that she will inevitably let down these expectations and disappoint her family. Physical Appearance Elsie has inherited her mother's pale, doll-like looks. She has delicate features, with a heart-shaped face, full lips, a small pert nose, and big blue eyes. Her hair is a silvery-pale blonde color, and her form is petite. She has a very graceful way of moving and holds herself with a surprising amount of poise for a 13 year old. Elsie stands at exactly 5ft, and though her father is fairly tall and her mother is of average height, she may fall into the genetic tradition of the Von Drott de la Serre family, which is populated by short women. Magical Interests and Abilities Elsie is a bit of a renaissance student, and has many magical interests, abilities, and accomplishments. She has yet to run into a course that she doesn't excel in, though she fears the day that she finds something she doesn't do well with. Favorite Courses Elsie's particular favorite classes are Astronomy, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Divinations, and Herbology. Abilities She has a natural talent with Divinations, and finds that she can get along with most animals and creatures quite easily. She is an adept student of Charms and Astronomy, and growing up with her father's career in Herbology has made knowledge of the subject second-nature to her. This innate knowledge of Herbology often aids her in her potion-making ability, but she doesn't particularly care for the subject due to the often unpleasant smells that occur during classes. Mundane Interests and Abilities * Music Elsie is a talented singer, following in her mother's footsteps as a soprano. She also plays piano, and is learning to play the violin and the harp. She loves music, and often hums under her breath absentmindedly. * Reading Elsie loves to read. There is usually a pile of books on her nightstand, and she almost always carries a book with her wherever she goes. * Dance Elsie is a ballerina, and also knows many formal dances that would be expected of a young aristocrat who attends balls fairly regularly. * Art Elsie sketches often, and is currently dabbling in watercolors. Sometimes she writes and illustrates short stories and fairytales that she makes up. * Baking Elsie loves to bake, and makes many intricately decorated creations for her family and friends to enjoy. * Fashion Elsie is a dedicated student of fashion, and designs and sews many of her own outfits. She has an eye for details, and is always impeccably dressed. Possessions Rumors Miscellaneous Trivia Category:Students Category:Ravenclaws